EUROPEAN NETWORKS:
EURACOM
EURACOM is a association of local authorities of European Coal Mining Regions. It exists since 1989 and is currently chaired by Bernard Rapkay, German member of the European Parliament. EURACOM initiated in 2004 the INTERREG IIIC project RECORE, which aimed at enhancing the exchange of experience in relation to mining topics between local authorities of European coal-mining regions. With strong support of EURACOM the INTERREG IVC project PROSPECTS started in 2010 bringing together public authorities and other bodies responsible for business development with the objective to exchange support measures for SME in mono-structured coal-mining areas. Information about PROSPECTS can be found on http://i4c.eu/showProject.html?ID=40373 (in English) and www.wipage.de/startseite0/wissen/eu-projekt-prospects/ (in German).
Post Mining Alliance
The Post-Mining Alliance is an independent, not-for-profit group with a mission to encourage and promote the regeneration of old mine sites for the sustainable benefit of the local community and natural environment. The alliance is based at the EDEN project in Cornwall (England) - itself a former clay mining pit transformed into an environmental tourism attraction and educational charity.
European Network of Mining Regions (ENMR)
The European Network of Mining Regions (ENMR) was initiated through an INTERREG IIIC project (2005-2007) as a cooperative effort for forming a European partnership of regional public bodies on mining and regional sustainability.
European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH)
ERIH is a tourism information network of industrial heritage in Europe. Currently it presents more than 850 sites in 32 European countries. All sites relate to ten European Theme Routes which show the diversity of European industrial history and their common roots. One of the Theme Routes is the European mining route.
RUNNING EUROPEAN PROJECTS:
Project Remining LOWEX
Remining-Lowex is a FP6 CONCERTOII project concerned with the redevelopment of European mining areas into sustainable communities based on low exergy principles. Four ambitious local communities, Heerlen (the Netherlands), Zagorje (Slovenia), Czeladz (Poland) and Bourgas (Bulgaria) intend to demonstrate the use of local available low valued renewable energy sources, specifically from water in abandoned mines, for heating and cooling of buildings.
http://www.remining-lowex.org/
COBRAMAN
The INTERREG IVB project COBRAMAN started in 2009. It aims at coaching local communities to manage the redevelopment of brownfield sites and to develop such areas in a faster and more effective way, with a subsequent improvement of the environment for the benefit of the wider community.
ACT4PPP
The INTERREG IVB project ACT4PPP started in 2009. It aims at providing a platform for Central European cities and regions to exchange know-how and assist them in applying more and better targeted public private partnerships.
http://www.act4ppp.eu/PROSPECTS
The INTERREG IV C project PROSPECTS started in 2010 to promote and support entrepreneurship to create new SMEs in European coalfields and in regions of industrial tradition. During 3 years, this project enables the 10 partners to exchange and transfer their experiences.
http://www.prospects-project.com
FINALISED EUROPEAN PROJECTS:
Project MINEWATER
This INTERREG IIIC project led by the city of Heerlen (Netherlands) engaged in promoting usage of minewater as source for geothermal heating and cooling.
http://www.chri.nl/upload/art.%20minewaterproject.pdf
http://www.minewaterproject.info/
Project Revitamin
Revitamin was an INTERREG III B project running 2004-2006 with the main objective to support revitalisation of former mining areas by developing a transnational computer-aided multicriteria decision tool.
Project REKULA
REKULA was an INTERREG III B project running 2004-2006 with the objective to develop a Europe-wide applicable set of tools for management of thoroughly disturbed cultural landscapes.
